Rail operator Renfe to ban electric scooters on all trains in Spain from 12 December

The ban on the personal mobility vehicles, which will prevent them being carried on commuter, regional and high-speed services, follows concerns about an increase in battery fires in recent months

Europa Press

Malaga

Tuesday, 28 November 2023 | Updated 31/12/2023 07:38h.

Spain's state rail operator, Renfe, has decided to ban the carrying of electric scooters on all passenger trains, including Cercanías commuter services, regional, long distance and high-speed services (AVE, Avlo, Alvia, Avant, Euromed and Intercity).

This ban, which will come into force on 12 December, follows concern about the number of battery fires that have occurred on some public transport services for various reasons including battery tampering, damage caused by knocks, the passage of time or the use of different chargers.

This measure affects not only electric scooters, but also unicycles or any other electric or battery-powered personal mobility device, with the exception of those for persons with reduced mobility and electric bicycles.

Renfe said that this measure has been introduced on the basis of public health and passenger safety assessment and is similar to others that have been introduced in different cities in Spain and Europe.

Seville was the first Spanish city, in 2021, to prevent passengers from travelling on the Metro with their electric scooters during rush hour on weekdays.

Last February, Catalonia banned both access to vehicles and to public transport infrastructures (stations and platforms) following the explosion of a scooter on the Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC) service in November 2022.

Likewise, since 4 November, electric scooters have been banned from access to public transport services in the Madrid region managed by the Regional Transport Consortium (e.g. on the metro or buses).

In other countries, some rail operators in the UK and Ireland, as well as the London Underground and Hamburg, have also banned electric scooters from their trains.

Once the measure comes into force, Renfe will be able to force a passenger to leave the train if he/she is carrying an object, luggage or vehicle that represents a risk to the safety and smooth running of the transport, or to the safety of other passengers.

At Cercanías local train stations managed by Renfe, passengers with electric scooters will be informed of the ban if they are spotted, and random inspections may also be carried out by inspectors and security staff.

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